Coachella not just for big name acts

By Mike Ruby

With the temperature officially in the triple digits, I figured it was time to get out of the sun for a little while. As I approached the Gobi tent, I was disappointed to find that there were people spilling out of every side and there was no way of getting any shade. I was, however, intrigued by the music that was coming out of the tent. It sounded like a 10-piece band playing a fast blend of salsa, rock, and flamenco. Imagine my surprise when I got a glance at the stage and found out that the band consisted of only two acoustic guitars.

It then dawned on me that it was the Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, who created this wide range of sounds through extremely fast picking and using their guitars as percussion, sometimes both at the same time. I had never heard anything like it. The two played faster than the average heavy metal band, but with more precision and confidence. They showed off their talents further when they did their own spin on songs by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Metallica--making it all look easy.

This was only one of the more than 100 bands that played the Coachella Music and Arts Festival this year. The festival could be described as Burning Man meets Woodstock and needless to say, it was a sensory overload. First of all, the range of music seemed incredibly broad. Whether it was the mellow, folk/bluegrass sound of Nickel Creek or the pounding, electronic beats of Felix Da Housecat, there was bound to be something pleasing to the ear.

The performances by Rage Against the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers have been described in previous posts on this blog. As amazing as those two acts were, there were masses of lesser-name bands that, although overlooked, were really the glue that held the festival together. Many of them made an impression while bigger names like Willie Nelson, Bjork, Tiesto, Manu Chao and The Jesus and Mary Chain were decent but forgettable.

One example was Los Angeles-based indie rock group Silversun Pickups. Although the band gained attention less than a year ago, it managed to land a gig on the main stage at Coachella, and I was impressed with the band's professionalism. For the entire set, it was easy to tell that all four members were having a blast and their sense of accomplishment provided a new level of energy. At one point between songs, frontman Brian Aubert said, “I’m feeling pretty good about myself right now.” The Silversun Pickups deserved to give themselves a pat on the back for fighting intimidation and just tearing up the stage from beginning to end.

Another memorable act was The Coup, a hip-hop duo from my home town, Oakland, CA. The band's live set offered an entirely different sound from its recorded music. Not that The Coup's records are less than praiseworthy, but what made the show was the guitar/bass/drum trio backing up rapper Boots Riley and DJ Pam the Funkstress. With lyrics even farther to the left than those of Rage Against the Machine, Riley succeeded in getting the audience pumped. Rather than chew the scenery, he gave his band members space to jam and express themselves creatively, creating a hip-hop/funk blend unlike anything I’d ever heard.

Being that Coachella is a music and arts festival, the visual aesthetics of the place were astounding, to say the least. In addition to the mountains and palm trees surrounding the field, there were giant art pieces arrayed around the festival grounds. Some of the best were a giant dome covered in moving lights, a 40-foot-tall, three-legged metal creature named I.T., and the ever popular Tesla Coil, which conducted dangerously large lightning bolts. The series of bicycle-powered carnival rides were quite entertaining as well.

One downside of the festival was that there was too much to see in too little time. With five bands playing at any given time, sacrifices had to be made. Because of this, I was only able to see bits and pieces of sets. I managed to watch only part of Patton Oswalt’s hilarious routine with the Comedians of Comedy and caught just a few minutes of Busdriver’s lightning-speed rapping. I had to alternate every couple of songs between The Arctic Monkeys and Stephen Marley because both were too good to pass up. There were also some significant acts I didn’t get to see at all, including Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell’s current project, Satellite Party, and eccentric gypsy punk band, Gogol Bordello. Infected Mushroom, The Good, the Bad, and the Queen, Girl Talk, and Kings of Leon were other groups that I regretably had to skip.

One act that I did have the pleasure of seeing was Peeping Tom, the latest project from former Faith No More frontman, Mike Patton. The set consisted of an eclectic blend of songs whose influences ranged from alternative to electronica to hip-hop to every other type of music that could be packed into a 50-minute set. And though Patton refrain from the wild stage antics he was known for with Faith No More, Peeping Tom brought down the tent and showed the audience a great time.

Many bands at Coachella demonstrated the difference between simply playing and putting on a show. The Decemberists were one that put forth a little extra, the highlight coming in a final, acoustic number for which the band broke out a mandolin, upright bass, hand percussion and accordion. Considering how serious the Decemberist’s music often sounds, I was fairly surprised to hear the band perform a sea shanty involving audience participation and a giant whale costume. Who would have thought?

As an appetizer to Rage Against the Machine, Rage’s guitarist, Tom Morello, under the name The Nightwatchman, attracted a large crowd to one of the smaller stages for his solo set. All of the songs were original folk tunes for which Morello sang and played acoustic guitar and harmonica. While the songs weren’t especially memorable, I enjoyed watching one of today’s most prominent rock guitarists croon a series of Dylan-esqe tunes about things like women’s rights and war. And although songs like “One Man Revolution” might not have had the powerful effect on society that Rage’s “Killing in the Name” has, it was nice to see Morello back into activism, having taken a hiatus while playing with Audioslave. To close the set, The Nightwatchman was accompanied by Perry Farrell and Boots Riley for a rendition of the American classic “This Land Is Your Land.”

I was amazed by the amount of energy and confidence that many performers possessed. The Kaiser Chief’s performance was noteworthy for its abundance of energy. The same was true for Jack’s Mannequin, which rounded out its set with vocalist Andrew McMahon standing on top of a grand piano and belting a surprisingly excellent cover of Tom Petty’s “An American Girl.” Rufus Wainwright sang every song with passion and meaning and everyone in The Arcade Fire sang their hearts out.

By the end of the weekend, I had blisters on my feet and sunburned shoulders and as I got in the car to make the nine-hour journey home, I was struck with the realization that I had just experienced something unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Not only was I there for the reuniting of Happy Mondays, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Crowded House, and of course, Rage, but I had looked at incredible artwork, eaten overpriced but delicious food, met some awesome people, and expanded my musical information bank.

So for those who have been pondering the idea of heading to Coachella next year, here’s a little piece of advice: wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes, nurse a bottle of water at all times, and keep an open mind. The best bands are often the one’s that you least expect.